


condescending purple messiah

by protectoroffaeries



Series: #critrole rsweek 2018 [1]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Arguments, Critical Role Relationship Week 2018, Excessive Drinking, Found Family, Gen, Hypocrisy, Self-Harm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-19
Updated: 2018-06-19
Packaged: 2019-05-25 07:00:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14971598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/protectoroffaeries/pseuds/protectoroffaeries
Summary: How Nott and Molly see each other, through the lens of many drinks.





	condescending purple messiah

**Author's Note:**

> day 2: molly & nott  
> crossposted @nottmygoblindaughter on tumblr

“I’m not as stupid as you think I am,” Nott says, and Molly thinks that’s pretty funny, because he was just about to say the same thing to her.

The thing is, Molly doesn’t think she’s stupid, per se. He thinks she’s unaware and careless. And every time he tries to bring this to her attention, she brushes him off. Like she thinks he’s the one who doesn’t know how to walk in the world. Maybe he does, maybe he doesn’t, but at least his bad habits aren’t going to get anyone arrested or killed.

They’re arguing about bad habits this time, but last time it was about talking to merchants, and the time before that, it was the beacon. It doesn’t matter what they argue about, they always end up here, snapping at each other. Molly prefers arguing with any other member of the Mighty Nein - even Beau - because with them, it’s mostly harmless. It’s dangerous, fighting with Nott. People already look at both of them funny.

Usually, thankfully, the rest of the Mighty Nein are around to stop their squabbling from escalating. But tonight, they’re the only two left at the bar, and Nott’s trashed. Molly is starting to feel fuzzy himself, and he takes another swig of his drink, some fruity concoction this town’s know for, before he responds to her.

“I never called you stupid,” he says. He has more to say, but she doesn’t let him get that far.

“You don’t have to say it!” she says, and she slams her flask on the bar with a loud clang. Whiskey sloshes out of it and spills over her hands, but she doesn’t seem to notice. “You act like I am. You think I don’t know that the world sucks? That there are good people and bad people, and that most on both sides hate me? I know, Molly! I understand how you see things, too.” She takes a huge drink from her flask, and Molly’s a little impressed with how she guzzles it without flinching. “‘Only steal from grumpy people, water’s not that scary’. Fuck you. I don’t think knowing who you are is scary, but you don’t see me imposing my opinions and morals on everyone else like I’m some sort of condescending purple messiah.”

“Are you finished?” It’s easy to pretend to be unphased at the mention of his past, but he can’t help but think that was low of her. 

Nott stares at him for a second before flipping him off. She doesn’t flip people off very often, and Molly’s a little amused by it. Or he would be, under any other circumstances. “Yes, now I am.”

“You’re right, you’re not stupid,” Molly tells her, “but you do some stupid things.”

“And you don’t?”

“I never said that, but you have to be careful about what kind of stupid things you do. You start hurting other people, that’s where the line is.”

Nott shakes her head. And then without warning, she grabs his arm and turns it over, exposing the criss-cross of scars that go up the length of it and disappear under his sleeve. Huh. Bad time to leave his coat upstairs. “If you think you’re the only one who’s hurt when you do destructive shit to yourself, you’re as stupid as you think I am,” she says, but she’s not yelling anymore. “My thieving only hurts strangers.”

Molly takes his arm back, holds it close so she can’t grab it again. “You getting arrested would be bad for all of us.”

“Any of us getting arrested would be bad for all of us. I’m not the only one who breaks the law. You break the law.”

“Yeah, but I’m not-”

“-you’re not stupid about it, I know,” she says, and she climbs off the barstool. “Goodnight, Mollymauk.” She grabs her flask off the bar and walks away, only slightly wobbly. 

Molly feels off-kilter, like that conversation didn’t go as expected, even though it went like every other argument with Nott. He downs his drink in one more gulp, which gives him the hiccups, and he tries not to think too hard about it. If anything, it’ll make more sense in the morning.


End file.
